Broken Bond

Chapter 5

CALLUM

The Cedar Ridge ski resort is a winter tourist trap that sits just outside the edge of the six-pack’s territory, owned and operated by the six shifter packs that reside within.

Since we generally keep to ourselves, the ski resort was built as an income stream to keep our towns afloat, as well as the Cedar Ridge brewery just down the road.

The ski resort is shuttered in the summer months, but the brewery is open all year round so we have consistent revenue.

It’s a smart setup, but it also tempts us into wandering off-territory more than we probably should.

My boys and I spend a lot of time at the ski resort in the winter, though we generally stay away from the human tourists as best we can since one of the fundamental rules of shifter culture is to keep our existence a secret.

We’ve all been snowboarding for years, and we take full advantage of the fact that we've got a full- service ski resort right in our backyards.

The runs here are second to none, and while the guests staying at the resort pay hundreds of dollars a day for lift tickets and equipment rental, the six of us just show up whenever we want to board, free of charge. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

It’s a pretty sweet setup, one that I never take for granted.

There’s a big lodge at the heart of the ski resort where the guests stay, complete with a restaurant and bar.

We’ve typically steered clear of the lodge in the past to avoid tangling with the human population, but ever since Chase discovered that Vienna works there, it has become a regular stop- off after we come down from the mountain.

I’ve been less against it since learning that Nessa works there, too, but I’ve yet to catch her on a shift.

Ever since the potential rogue sighting the other night, our packs have been on high alert.

Chase, ever the opportunist, somehow manipulated that into getting Vienna to give him a ride home at the end of her shift today under the guise of protection, so it’s just Levi and I in his truck as we depart the ski resort, Miles and Dare hopping in to ride with Alec like they usually do.

Right as we’re about to pull out of the parking lot, my phone vibrates with an incoming call, the name ‘Fuckface’ appearing on the screen.

He’s persistent, I’ll give him that.

I mash the red button to ignore the call, tossing my phone into the cupholder in the center console of Levi’s truck

"Troy again?" Levi asks, shooting me a side- eyed glance as he pulls out onto the forest road to head back to Norbury.

I grunt in confirmation and scrub a hand over my face.

I know I can’t avoid my stepdad forever- it’s only a matter of time before he gets sick of me dicking his calls and shows up at my door to ruin my fucking day in person- but for now, I don’t have the energy to listen to his bullshit.

It’s quiet in the cab of Levi’s truck, so I flick the button to turn on the radio, scrolling through the stations to find something worth listening to.

I finally land on one when my phone vibrates loudly against the cupholder and I bristle, glancing down at what’s visible of the screen.

It isn’t Fuckface calling twice in a row, though - it’s an incoming text.

I pick it up to get a better look, snorting when I read the message.

Vanessa: Would you rather be 11 feet tall or 9 inches tall?

Shaking my head with a chuckle, I open it up and start typing out a response.

Callum: Definitely 11 feet.

Chicks dig tall dudes.

You? Vanessa: Nine inches.

I’d be able to sneak into small spaces and listen in on everyone’s private conversations like a tiny spy.

1 I choke on a laugh and Levi darts me a suspicious glance, his eyes dropping to my phone screen to try to sneak a peek.

I'm quick to conceal it from the nosy bastard by shoving my phone in my jacket pocket and staring out the windshield.

Nessa and I have been texting on and off since the night of the bonfire, mostly silly would -you-rather hypotheticals that I can’t even remember how we got started with.

Gotta keep the conversation going so I can win this bet, right? Ugh.

Just the thought of Miles’ stupid game makes my skin prickle in irritation, effectively un-doing all the progress I made on de- stressing by cutting up the mountain all morning.

Snowboarding is great and all, but it isn’t nearly enough to keep my particular demons at bay.

"You got a fight lined up for me yet?" I grind out, eyes still focused on the forest road ahead.

"Nah, man, nobody’s stupid enough to take you on.Especially after the last one."

An annoyed growl rumbles in my chest and I scrub my hand over my face again.

I can feel that dark, ugly thing building inside of me like it always does, and I know that if I can’t find a way to let it out soon, it'll start to take over.

The only thing that seems to work is violence.

Alpha Vaughn understood that- he helped me harness my rage, channel it into something productive by setting me on enforcement tasks for the pack.

Those were never public knowledge, though, so after he died, those opportunities died with him.

I was on the verge of losing my shit, but then some drunken asshole challenged me to a fight one night, and I achieved that same catharsis from beating his face in.

It was entertaining as shit for the boys to watch, so they found me another opponent the next week and encouraged me to do it again, turning it into a regular thing for the past couple months.

That is, until they couldn’t find any more takers.I guess that’s the downside of people being scared of you.

"Keep trying," I grumble, barely concealing my agitation.

I need a joint.I dig into my pocket for one but come up empty.

Levi waves me off like it’s nothing.

"Yeah, yeah.I will."

He shifts in his seat, his jaw twitching as he navigates the curves of the forest road.I don’t miss how tense his shoulders are and the way he’s white knuckling the steering wheel.

Something’s bothering him, and I’ve got a pretty good idea as to what that might be.

"You think he’s into her?" he mumbles.

There it is.I heave a sigh, flopping my head backwards against the headrest.I don’t have the patience for this kind of trivial shit right now, and for the life of me I still can’t figure out why Chase and Levi are fighting over Vienna like a couple of dogs over a bone.

Especially when her friend is ridiculously hot, and beyond all logic, neither of them have seemed to take notice.

"Yeah, man," I reply, swiping my hand over my chin.

"It's obvious." Levi grunts, clearly not liking my answer.

"Then why hasn’t he said anything to me? He knows I like her.""Do you like her, or do you just want to fuck her?"

I challenge, swinging my gaze on him.He furrows his brow.

"What’s the difference?"

"Well if you just wanna fuck her, then what’s the problem if he’s interested, too? Don’t act like you’re above Chase’s sloppy seconds."

Levi tears a hand off the wheel, balling his fist and swinging his arm sideways to deliver a jab to my bicep.I don’t even flinch; I absorb the pain like an addict getting a fix.

"Asshole," he mutters.

Then, after a beat, "You think she’ll be at Serena’s birthday thing this weekend?" I shrug a shoulder.

"Probably.She's friends with a few of the Lunas, isn’t she?"

"How do you know?" Because I fucking pay attention.I just shrug again.

Levi clenches his fists around the steering wheel again, his jaw set in determination.

"Well if she shows, I’m gonna make my move.Maybe you can be my wingman, help me get Vienna and I'll help you get on that friend of hers."

My eyes roll so far back in my head that I practically see my skull.As if I'd need his help.

"Get me that fight and I'll consider it," I grumble.

Levi’s lips slide into a grin and he shoots me a side-eyed glance, waggling his eyebrows.

"Well hey, if all else fails, you can always fight Miles over her."

"Right," I snort.

"Try finding me someone who can actually throw a punch, eh?"

"Yeah," he sighs, waving me off again.

"I’m on it."

Levi didn’t get me that fucking fight.I'm so on edge by Saturday night that I feel like I’m about to crawl out of my skin, and the last place I should probably be is out at a packed bar full of drunk assholes.

The Stillwater Tap is busier than I’ve ever seen it with the crowd that turned out for Serena’s birthday celebration, and if one more person inadvertently bumps into me as they pass by, I'm liable to lose my shit.

Trust me when I say nobody wants to see that.I might fuck around and kill someone, and Alpha Vaughn isn’t around anymore to help clean up my messes.

It seems that Chase is right there with me since Vienna showed up here tonight on the arm of some other dude, and his agitation is rubbing off on me, only further fueling my own.I shouldn’t stay here.I know it, but I can’t bring myself to leave, either, because I know Nessa plans on coming, and I’ll be damned if Miles is gonna get one up on me by having her all to himself tonight.

It’s just about the bet.

It has nothing to do with her as a person, or the maddening truth that I still can’t figure out what the hell it is she’s hiding behind that sugar-sweet facade.

It definitely doesn’t have to do with the way that I’ve been texting her all week despite the fact that I don’t fucking text.

A means to an end.

A pawn on a chessboard.

When the guys start ripping more shots, I take that as my cue to step out, desperate for another way to take the edge off.

While getting belligerently drunk does seem appealing right now, I know better than to go down that road when I'm in this state.

My temper’s already on a hair trigger.

Adding whiskey to that fire will only fuel it, and chances are, I'll wind up doing something stupid that I’ll live to regret come morning.

The cold night breeze smacks me in the face as I push through the door to exit the bar, dragging in a greedy lungful of fresh air.

The air inside that place is thick, stagnant, and reeks of booze and sweat.

I’m pretty sure the whole town of Stillwater came out for Serena’s birthday tonight since she’s their Luna, and Chase dragged us here because he’s got this weird friendship with her.

I’ve never been fond of Serena since she started coming around and encroaching on our tight group of six, but I put up with her because she’s mated to Reid, one of the six-pack Alphas, and I know Chase needs to get in with them if he’s going to step up to lead our pack.

Doesn’t mean I have to like it, though.

I stride away from the bar entrance, seeking out a dark corner near the edge of the building to post up at while I spark up a joint.

Just to take the edge off so I can go back in there and try to make it through the rest of this night without unraveling.

It’s not a sure bet, but it’s worth a try.

I'm dragging the thick marijuana smoke deep into my lungs when the sound of heels clacking against the asphalt draws my attention, my gaze lifting to the far end of the parking lot to see a figure emerge from the darkness.

She’s walking with a determined stride; confident, yet not overly so.

She carries herself like she knows who she is, her curvy hips swaying with every step.

The dress she’s wearing looks like it’s painted on, clinging to her slim waist and the swell of her breasts.

They’re round and perky, bouncing temptingly with every step she takes.

She draws closer.

Her legs are long, toned, and look like they were dipped in bronze, carved by the gods themselves.

They’ re so fucking long, and it’s not just an optical illusion created by the stiletto heels on her feet.

My eyes linger on them as tendrils of smoke leave my lips and I raise the joint to take another puff.

She steps out of the shadows, suddenly bathed in light emanating from a streetlamp high above her.

I’m finally gifted with a good look at her, and I choke on the smoke I’m inhaling, my throat burning as my lungs try to force it out.

I'd recognize that face anywhere, and not only because it’s the one I pictured while I was jacking my dick in the shower this morning.

Almond eyes, high cheekbones, and plump lips that I want to sink my teeth into.

Her long hair is styled in loose curls, bouncing around her heart-shaped face as she struts toward the entrance of the bar, completely unaware that I’m stalking her from the shadows.

She suddenly slows her approach, like she senses a predator in her midst, and I push off from the brick building, stepping out from under the cover of darkness.

Nessa’s head swivels around, her eyes finding mine instantly as she sucks in a little gasp of surprise.

"Callum?"